Comparison between the effects of normal saline with and without heparin for the prevention and management of arterial catheter occlusion: a triple-blinded randomized trial.

Abstract

We aimed to compare the effects of saline with and without heparin on the catheter-occlusion rate and coagulation-related blood test results for the management of arterial catheters among patients admitted to a short-term intensive care unit postoperatively. This prospective, triple-blinded, randomized controlled study recruited patients aged 20-90years scheduled to undergo radial arterial catheter insertion and postoperative intensive care unit admission between February and August 2019. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups (1:1 ratio) depending on the use of heparin: study (normal saline with heparin, 3000 units to 500ml of normal saline) and control (normal saline without heparin) groups with arterial catheters. The allocated management method was employed immediately after intensive care unit admission. Occlusion assessment (every 12h), arterial blood gas tests (every 6h), and blood sample collection (every 24h) were performed. The occlusion of arterial catheter was assessed using occlusion rate, and blood test results were assessed using a linear mixed model. There were 147 patients in the arterial catheter groups. There were no significant differences in occlusion rates and changes in platelet counts and activated partial thromboplastin time between the groups with arterial (p = 0.98, 0.16, and 0.32, respectively) catheters during the first 6days after intensive care unit admission. Normal saline with and without heparin showed similar efficiency for both the prevention of occlusion and the results of coagulation.